Perfect
by x l i f e r u s h i n g i n x
Summary: Carlos catches the eye of the new guy working w/Gustavo & comes out as bisexual to his friends to date him. But Kendall doesn't think this cocky self-centered jerk is the right guy for Carlos. Maybe Kendall is. Slash. Carlos/OC eventual Kenlos
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, person-reading-this! This is not only my first BTR story, but also the first time I've written something with two guys liking each other, though I have written other stories on another account. I'm kind of nervous about this. When I first started reading BTR fanfics, I honestly wasn't even expecting to find nor was I looking for anything with the guys being with each other, but I gotta say I'm hooked! So I decided to write my own on a new account. Hopefully it's semi-decent and you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Big Time Rush, or anything associated with the TV show or band. But I wish I did… **

**Chapter 1: The New Guy**

"DOGS! You're dismissed! BACK TO THE KENNEL!" Gustavo bellowed at them.

The four friends that made up Big Time Rush were confused at this act of 'generosity' displayed by their forever angry producer, as they had only been in the studio for thirty minutes as opposed to the multiple-hour long sessions that they usually had, but they weren't complaining. They hastily left the recording room and were running down the hallway towards the exit, laughing and reveling in their good fortune, when they came across Kelly leading a boy about their age in the direction from which they had come. They stopped and peered curiously at this new guy.

"Hey, Kelly," Kendall greeted, tilting his head with a question mark clearly written on his face. "Who's this guy?" he asked bluntly.

Kelly sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes before turning to them. "Cameron Rhodes meet the guys of Big Time Rush; Kendall, Logan, Carlos, James. Guys, this is Cameron. He's part of a new project Gustavo is working on and I was kind of hoping you guys would be gone before he got here. He'll also be staying at the Palm Woods but Gustavo wants you no where near him, as you always seem to find yourselves on someone else's track and he is adamant about Cameron having a solo. So goodbye."

They all tuned her out after the introductions and just kind of gave each other a once-over. Kendall, Logan, and James had all deemed Cameron as no threat to their career and left it at that with no worries, fine with whatever it was Kelly was talking about. Carlos was about to do the same, but then he noticed the way Cameron's eyes seemed to linger on him longer than they had on his friends. Heat rose to his cheeks as he came to another realization: the guy was checking him out! There was no mistake; he had the same kind of smoldering look Carlos had seen on James' face countless times when he had come across a new girl he had found attractive and was about to make a move.

Carlos panicked internally. What if this guy, Cameron, hit on him? His nerves got even worse when he realized he wasn't really opposed to the idea. He had known for a long time that he was as attracted to boys as he was to girls. He had tried very hard to keep it a secret, and a lot of times he thought he was close to blowing it back in Minnesota when it was shower time after a game or practice.

Looking at the boy in front of him, he really wouldn't mind if he did approach him. Cameron could seriously rival James as the prettiest boy at the Palm Woods, though if he would actually win was up for dispute. He had beautiful chocolate brown locks that had just a hint of copper, and it was styled perfectly in that carefree tousle that appeared as if he had done nothing to it, though he must have. He was maybe half an inch shorter than Kendall with a lean figure that subtly hinted at the muscle hidden beneath his grey hooded sweatshirt. His skin was the natural golden tan of someone who spent a lot of time outdoors and not in a tanning bed or under a spray tan. But Carlos' favorite thing about the gorgeous boy before him was his amazing set of dark blue-grey eyes. They reminded him of the Minnesota sky right before a bad rainstorm, which was different from a snow sky which appeared white-gray.

As much as Carlos enjoyed the thought of Cameron asking him out, he wasn't sure he was ready. He knew he wouldn't be able to say no, and he wouldn't be able to keep his sexuality a secret from his friends any longer if he said yes. He wasn't exactly certain how they would take it. He knew they didn't have an issue with gay people, as there had actually been a gay and out member on their hockey team that they had been fine with, but he didn't know if they would feel weird about the boy they had know more than half of their lives turning up to be bi.

But now that Carlos was thinking about it, he really didn't want to keep it a secret anymore. Why should he? They were his best friends and they shared everything with each other. Carlos became more and more eager at the prospect of coming out to his friends and Cameron inadvertently helping him do it. But then he came to another thought. What if Cameron was in the same position as he was? He probably wasn't out either and he probably didn't even know he was so obvious in his perusal of Carlos. Carlos started to feel disappointment creep up on him but it evaporated as Cameron's eyes came up to meet his. His cheeks flared hot as Cameron's eyes flashed in recognition of his feelings reflected in Carlos' chocolate brown eyes. Carlos was sure he would say something then, but Cameron just smirked softly with a little wave and turned away as Kelly again began to lead him back to where Gustavo waited in the studio.

Carlos was amazed at all that he had contemplated in those few seconds, and also at the fact that all the could-be's were walking away with the grey-eyed boy. Carlos wasn't sure how it happened, but before he knew it, he was racing after him. He grabbed Cameron's shoulder, turning him to face him.

The words spilled from his lips in a rush. "Would you like to go out with me?"

**Wow, there's a lot of Carlos just thinking. Sorry about that, but please, please tell me what you think! I'll take whatever you give me, and I'd appreciate the advice. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello! I'd like to thank everyone that is reading this and everyone for adding this story to their alerts! And a special thanks to **_**Princess Baby Bride**_**, **_**twins1729, Jessayra, Velandrae,**__**Mee-Yuu kobayashi**_** and **_**Crown0017**_** for reviewing. You guys rock!**

**Disclaimer: I own naught the lovely boys known together as Big Time Rush nor do I reap payment for this miniscule story.**

**Chapter 2: The First Date**

Silence. The only sounds heard within the corridor were the breaths wheezing out of Carlos' chest. He was just as shocked at himself as everyone else was. He stared at Cameron's face. He appeared to be the least shocked of everyone present, but he was still clearly taken aback by Carlos' question. Slowly, his smirk appeared back on his face, this one much more smug than the last one. He was the one to finally break the awkward silence.

"Sure, why not? I've gotta say I kinda dig that you were brave enough to even make the first move," Cameron said with a charming smile that just might have been brighter than the famous pearly whites that James sported.

Carlos couldn't deny that he was dazzled and he caught himself wondering if this is how girls felt under the glow of James' smile. He knew he must have had the goofiest grin on his face, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He said yes!

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Carlos, since when do you like guys? Wasn't it just this morning that you were chasing after the Jennifers?" Kendall asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I mean, I don't have a problem with it, but I'm kinda confused as to when this happened…?" Logan trailed off into a question, gesturing between Cameron and Carlos, but Carlos knew he meant it to be the same question as Kendall's.

"What I wanna know," James began, giving Cameron an offended stare, "is why you would look at that," gesture to Carlos in a way that clearly indicated that he was lesser, "but not at this," James finished with his signature jazz hands around 'The Face,' seeming unfazed by Carlos' new sexual preference and as if he hadn't been completely shocked by it thirty seconds before. Everyone turned to give him a questioning look. "I mean not that I like guys or anything, but I mean, come on. Carlos? I'm way better looking than him."

Cameron glanced around before shrugging. "I don't know. I guess you kind of remind me too much of myself and Carlos here just has this endearingly innocent quality that I could see right off the bat and which I find really adorable," he said with a smile at Carlos.

Carlos grinned back at him. While no one else seemed affected by his comment about James and himself, Kendall's eyes narrowed. It was well-known that James got around, and while he didn't judge, he wasn't so sure Carlos should be with someone just like him. His reaction went unnoticed as Kelly chose then to speak up again.

"Okay, hold on. Carlos, I really don't care about your gender preferences, so that's not the issue. What _is_ the issue is that you just completely ignored – again – everything I just said. Did I not just say that Gustavo's orders were to stay _away _from Cameron? And here you go and ask him out." Kelly sighed in defeat, rolling her eyes. "I should've guessed that one of you would end up talking to him anyway."

"Sorry, Kelly," Carlos said, but he didn't look very apologetic. He again looked at his friends who were staring back at him expectantly, and he knew it was time to answer some questions. Carlos sighed. "Well, I just wanna say I'm sorry, you guys, for not telling you this sooner, but oh, well, what can I do about it now? I'm bi and I've known it for a while but I've kept it a secret because there was never anyone I liked to reveal it for, and plus I wasn't exactly certain how you guys would take it. _But_ since you guys seem to be taking it so well, I feel kind of dumb for keeping it a secret," he finished sheepishly.

Logan gave him a soft, encouraging smile. "Carlos, come on. We're your best friends. You should have known you could tell us anything and we wouldn't judge you."

James squinted at Carlos with a 'Duh, how can you not know this?' expression. "Yeah, I mean, how long have we known each other? We all have done some pretty stupid things but we've never let them end our friendship. This is just another thing that we have to except, but it doesn't mean we love you any less," James said.

Kendall just smiled and pointed at Logan and James. "What they said."

Carlos smiled at his best friends, and felt kind of misty eyed. "Aw, I love you guys!" Carlos said, pulling them all into a group hug, which they readily returned though with a few eye rolls.

"Not that I don't approve of you all accepting Carlos for how he is, but we're kind of running a little late and Gustavo is probably pretty mad right now, so we have to go," Kelly said motioning towards the studio that Gustavo was waiting in.

As if on queue, shouting could be heard from the very loud producer. "WHERE IS MY NEW ARTIST? I DON'T HAVE TIME TO BE KEPT WAITING!"

Kelly sighed and started to pull Cameron towards the door, but Carlos stopped them again. "Wait! What about our date..?" Carlos trailed off.

Cameron smirked. "How about you just meet me in the Palm Woods lobby tonight at seven? I'll take care of the rest," he said with a wink.

Carlo/s gave him a bright smile. "Ok," he half sighed, half said.

How could someone possibly have eyes that color? Carlos felt like a girl with the way they seemed to be making his insides feel like jello. Cameron gave him one last smile before turning and following Kelly into the studio. Carlos stared at the door long after it had closed, a goofy smile planted on his face. Then he finally became aware of his friends calling his name.

"CARLOS. Dude, come _on_. Are you just gonna stand there all day until he comes out? If you did, then he'll think you're a stalker and then he won't want to go out with you," Kendall said, annoyance apparent in his voice.

"Sorry," Carlos said sheepishly. "Let's go."

**~*B.T.R.*~**

Carlos was freaking out. In half an hour, he was supposed to be meeting Cameron for their date and he had no idea of what to wear. What if he wore something casual, and they went to a fancy restaurant and then Cameron would be embarrassed by him and not want to date him again? Or what if he dressed formally and they just went to see a movie and then Cameron thought he was weird forever and never spoke to him again? He wasn't very good with dates; as a matter of fact, this was kind of his first real one, as he didn't count the day long one with Sasha because she was just pretending to like him, and the one with Candy and Megan never happened. He wished he could count taking the Jennifers to prom as one, but thinking about it made him scared.

James was lounging on his bed, staring at the mirror he had glued to the ceiling above it to make sure he was the first thing he saw in the morning, when a shirt flew from the closet and landed on his face. He was ready to yell about the interruption of his James and James time, but thought better of it when he saw Carlos come out of the closet with a look so pitiful on his face that James felt bad for being mad at the boy.

"Hey, Carlitos, come on. You're trying too hard, and believe me, that is not attractive. When Cameron sees you, you want him to think you made no effort to dress up for him; your hotness just happened naturally. Now. Allow me to help you. You want to go for the 'Hello, I'm Carlos, you're hot, but no where near as hot as me' look. So you need to wear this… and this," James directed, handing Carlos a pair of black skinny jeans and a white v-neck before looking around the floor for a suitable grey vest within the heap of clothes from Carlos' closet.

Carlos looked skeptical but relieved about James' choices. He shrugged and got to work on putting the clothes on. He had been standing around in boxer-briefs for the past hour after getting out of the shower and Carlos was happy that James hadn't shown that he had felt at all awkward about it. Carlos was still Carlos and they got dressed in front of each other all the time.

James had thrown a pair of grey Converse at him before rushing out of the room while he was dressing, and now he returned just as Carlos finished tying his shoe. He looked up to see James with an arm full of 'Cuda man sprays and hair care products. Carlos swiftly jumped up and backed away.

"Oh, no, James. Thanks for helping me with my outfit, but I do _not_ need help with my hair," Carlos said, holding out his hands to ward his friend off.

"Carlos, just putting your helmet on is not an attractive look. With the help of this 'Cuda hair gel, Cameron won't be able to resist the temptation to make-out with you wildly and run his fingers through that lovely hair of yours," James said suggestively. "Which isn't nearly as lovely as mine, by the way," he quickly interjected.

This did not excite Carlos. "I'm not sure that I want him to. My helmet will work just fine. This first date is the defining moment, I say. If Cameron can't except Helmet, then I can't accept him," Carlos said, a triumphant smile on his face for coming up with an excuse so quickly that wasn't actually a lie.

James shrugged, dropping the 'Cuda products where he stood. "Oh well. And anyways, what was I thinking, trying to help you get swag as great as mine?" James asked, giving a little "duh" snort and a look that said "WTF was _I_ thinking?"

James went back to his mirror while Carlos grabbed his helmet and slapped it on. He had ten minutes until he had to meet Cameron, but he figured he might as well head to the lobby now. But would he appear too eager if he was ten minutes early? Maybe he should wait five more minutes. Five was better than ten. He made sure he had his phone, wallet, and keys before heading out to the living room to wait on the orange couch.

Kendall was there, watching hockey. Carlos got excited seeing the game on, but then remembered he couldn't stay to watch it. Kendall turned to smile at him when he slumped onto the cushion next to him, but his greeting paused on the tip of his tongue and he frowned. Whether it was at the sullen expression and puppy eyes Carlos was giving the TV or the way he looked in that outfit, Kendall couldn't exactly pinpoint. He immediately forced himself to think it was the former and banished the latter from his mind. When exactly had he started thinking of Carlos in that light?

He was finally about to speak when Carlos jumped up after glancing at the time on the screen. The short boy yelled "Later, Kendall!" and was out the door.

As Carlos rode the elevator down to the lobby, he couldn't help but get nervous again. He had no idea what to expect; it was one thing to go on a date with a girl, where he knew you were supposed to be the gentleman and pay for everything, but was it the same when you went on a date with a guy? He guessed he would find out now.

The elevator doors opened onto the lobby and there stood Cameron, looking totally out of Carlos' league. He had exchanged his casual hoodie for a black blazer over a grey v-neck and a pair of black skinny jeans that made sure the only thought running through Carlos' head was how good Cameron would look _without_ them. When Cameron caught sight of him, he smiled, glancing briefly at the helmet on his head, but made no comment, and that's when Carlos knew he was a keeper.

**~*B.T.R.*~**

Carlos sighed dreamily as he closed the door of Apartment 2J behind him. That had to have been the best date in the history of dates! His post-date high was interrupted by a certain blonde lounging on an orange couch.

"Hey, Carlos. How was your date?"

Carlos turned to Kendall with a bright goofy smile. "It. Was. AWESOME! Best date of my life!"

Kendall smirked. "You mean the one which was practically the only date of your life?" he asked jokingly.

"Kendall, not now. I'm too happy to be made fun of. I _have_ to tell you what happened. Ok, so I was like, really nervous that I wouldn't be dressed right at first, but then James picked out this outfit for me, which I'm _so_ glad he did because Cam was dressed almost the same way and OH! He told me my helmet was cute! And I could tell he meant it too and then we got in his car which is _so_ nice and I have to admit is almost cooler than the BTR-mobile and I had no idea where we could possibly be going but then he stopped us right in front of this building that looked old and like no one had been in it for a while and I was all confused and I was kinda scared that he didn't think I was good enough to take to a nice place but then he led me in the building and up a lot of stairs and through a door and then we were on the roof and Kendall! You should have seen it! You wouldn't believe how beautiful it was compared to the rest of the place but it looked awesome with all the flowers and plants and candles and lights he had set up out there. And right in the middle there was this like big square couch-pad thing that went all around a table that had a silver tray that was covered and we walked over to it and when he uncovered it, you know what we found? A mountain of corn dogs! How did he know that I like corn dogs? He is so amazing. We just ate corn dogs and drank soda and laughed and talked for a long time before he said it was time to take me home and when we got here outside the door, he actually kissed me! My first kiss with a guy and I thought that it might feel weird with a guy but it was just like kissing a girl except way better but I think that was only because it was Cam that I was kissing but still it was awesome!" Carlos finally finished after a long rush of words.

Kendall had remained a mixture of amused, confused and jealous throughout Carlos' triad. It was getting harder and harder for him to deny the obvious feelings for his best friend that were making themselves known. He tried to think of something to say that wouldn't expose them.

"That's great, Carlos," he said simply. But thinking about Cameron, he got serious again. "Just be careful, okay? I can tell you really like this guy and I don't want you to really get your hopes up only for them to be crushed if it doesn't work out."

Carlos' ecstatic look sobered, but just barely. "Don't worry, Kendall. This is gonna be perfect."

**Okay, that's that. Sorry to those who wanted a more detailed first date, but I didn't think I could make it interesting so I just went for Carlos giving a long explanation of it instead. Please review and tell me what you think! Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update! I've been busy with school and I wanted to make sure I had the full story done first. Here is the third chapter! Enjoy.**

**Chapter 3: The Incident**

**~3 Months Later~**

Carlos sighed as he read the text he had just gotten from his boyfriend.

'_Sorry, babe. Still in the studio. Txt u later & we'll meet up my place '_

He replied back with a simple **'****K.****Love****u.****' **

He hated this. He was actually happy and excited for Cam that he got to experience all the awesome things he and his friends had since they had came to LA. But he didn't like that Gustavo was ruining the time that would have been better spent with his boyfriend. If they weren't both in school or if Cameron wasn't in the studio recording his first album, then Carlos was in the studio with the guys recording their second. It was Saturday, which meant that Cam should have been out of the studio at four. Carlos looked at the time on his phone for the twentieth time that day to see that it was closing in on five thirty. Why would Gustavo need him to stay an hour and a half later?

Kendall had warned him it would have been better if he waited for Cameron to call him, as it would just upset him if it turned out Cameron wasn't out of the studio yet and couldn't hang out. And what did he do? He went ahead and texted him anyway. And now he was upset. He sighed again and opened a new text window.

'**U were rite. Still up 4 some lobby hockey? :/' **

~***B.T.R.*~**

Kendall didn't know if he should smile or frown as he replied to the text he had just gotten from Carlos. He didn't like that Carlos was upset, but he appreciated anytime Carlos spent with him instead of Cameron. Now that he had had more time to judge him, he definitely didn't like the guy. He was too cocky and self-centered and he knew just how to manipulate Carlos to get whatever he wanted without the naïve boy knowing it. He saw now that he had been completely wrong in comparing him to James the first time they had met. James was almost nothing like Cameron. James at least respected his relationships, no matter how short they were, and stayed faithful; if there was another girl that held his interest better, he at least broke up with the girl he was currently dating before he pursued.

Okay, so he couldn't exactly prove that Cameron was cheating, but he could prove that he was a liar. Carlos never questioned Cameron, too caught up in that fake smile to notice anything else, but Kendall wasn't as trusting. When he had first heard of Cameron having to repeatedly put in extra hours at the studio, he had found that a bit weird. Sure, they had had to stay longer before, but never on a regular basis. Gustavo didn't have the patience for that sort of thing. But if Cameron really had to stay overtime, why wasn't Gustavo more angry and frustrated than usual and complaining about him? Why wasn't Kelly trying to help him out like she did with them? Why hadn't Griffin forced Gustavo to drop him?

So to prove his suspicions true, he decided to do some super secret spying (aka, he called Kelly), and he discovered that Cameron was actually a very good singer and was rapidly becoming one of Gustavo's favorites. He also found out that Cameron had only had to stay overtime in the studio once. So what had he been doing all those other times? It was a mystery that deserved some tree-hat spying if you asked Kendall. He had yet to find an opportunity to do it, but he vowed to do so soon. He didn't see any reason why Cameron had to lie to Carlos about where he was. Except that he was cheating. Was it bad that he really hoped that it turned out that Cameron was cheating?

By this point, Kendall was fully aware that his feelings for the Hispanic boy were not just the friendly kind. He wasn't exactly sure when they developed or how deep they ran, but they were there. And so every time he saw Carlos with Cameron, he was immediately overcome with jealousy and the desire to punch Cameron in the face. Then punch him again. And again. You get the picture.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, he had been making his way from the Palmwoods Park back to their apartment to grab his hockey gear. He had just reached the elevator when his phone buzzed again. A look at it showed that he had another text from Carlos and he opened it.

'_Sorry, change of plans. Cameron is back and I'm going to his place. Maybe we can make it dome hockey later instead?'_

Kendall tried not to be upset, but it was hard. He had really been looking forward to spending time with Carlos, and knowing that he was ditching him for someone else kind of hurt. Kendall sighed as he got on the elevator and pushed the button for the second floor. He couldn't help but feel that he'd be a much better guy for Carlos than Cameron. Carlos might have his delusions about his boyfriend and fall for his smooth act, but Kendall saw right through him and knew what kind of guy he was. He knew that before long, he'd be breaking Carlos's heart. To tell the truth, he was kind of surprised it hadn't happened already. He would just have to be there for Carlos when that day finally came. And when it did, Carlos would be his.

**~*B.T.R.*~**

Carlos was so happy. Cameron had just texted him that he was finally done in the studio and that he would see him soon. He had to fight the urge to immediately rush to Cam's place but he knew that he should allow him at least a few minutes to settle at home a bit after the long day in the studio. He wanted Cam to know that he missed him, but he didn't want seem like a clingy boyfriend. He anxiously watched the clock, guessing that Cameron texted him just as he was leaving the studio to get in his car. The ride back to the Palmwoods was about a five minute drive, add a minute to get back to his apartment, plus two or three minutes afterwards. That meant he had to wait six more minutes.

Carlos tried to busy himself with other things. He went to the bathroom and fixed his hair a bit so it wouldn't look horrible when he took his helmet off. Checked his phone: four minutes to go. He decided to brush his teeth too. Three minutes. Why was time moving so slowly? He went back into the living room, looking for something that would take three minutes to do. Then he spotted the hockey sticks he had set by the door for him and Kendall to play lobby hockey with earlier and remembered that he hadn't told Kendall yet. He took out his phone and drew out the text, slowly spelling out every word all the way with no abbreviations. When he was done he saw that he had minute so he decided to just go. He headed for the stairs, as he didn't want to wait for the elevator, and took them up to the seventh floor. Then he all but ran to apartment 7E.

Carlos smiled excitedly as he reached his boyfriend's apartment. He laid a couple of rapid knocks to the door, and then stood back. It only took a few moments before the door was opening to reveal a smiling Cameron in nothing but a towel. Carlos tried not to be too obvious as he drank in the sight of his bare chest.

"Hey babe. I was just about to hop in the shower. Come on in. You can wait in my room if you want," Cameron said, walking away, leaving Carlos to close the door and follow. Carlos smiled happily as he headed towards Cameron's room as the other boy went to shower. Carlos bounced onto his boyfriend's neatly made bed, laying back and getting comfortable against the pillows. While he waited, he looked around the room for maybe the hundredth time. He did it every time he time he was there, trying to take in every piece of information about his Cammy he could, and he always hoped there'd be something new to notice. And today, there was.

Cameron was one of those people who liked to keep everything clean; the total opposite of Carlos. There was never a time when something was out of place in his room. So when Carlos saw the piece of clothing peeking from the corner of the room, nearly hidden by the edge of the dresser, his first thought was that Cameron had dropped it when he was putting away his clothes and hadn't noticed. He decided to help his boyfriend out and pick it up for him.

Carlos walked over and picked the garment up. He automatically straightened it so he could fold it right, and that's when he actually looked at it. His face took on a confused expression when he saw that it was obviously a girl's camisole. A small girl at that; no where near Cam's size. Why was it in Cameron's room?

He tried to justify it's presence in his own mind, but he couldn't think of a plausible answer. Maybe it was his sister's? But Cam didn't have a sister, or if he did, he never mentioned her and Carlos never saw her. Was there a girl that Cameron was good enough friends with that they had an innocent sleepover? Then why hadn't Cameron told him about it, or better yet, invited him?

Carlos was getting really worried about it when Cameron, done with his shower, entered the room. Cameron's grin didn't falter as he took in the sight of Carlos holding the camisole with a frown furrowing his eyebrows. He just continued drying his hair with the towel in his hand, walking over to stand next to Carlos at his dresser to get a clean pair of sweats to put on over his boxers. He threw the towel in the clothes hamper before quickly slipping on a black pair he had pulled out. Carlos had yet to say anything. He just kept staring at his boyfriend with that same cute little frown. Cam finally decided to address him.

"What's that you got there, Losie?" Cameron said, as if he didn't already know.

Carlos's lips quirked the tiniest bit at the nickname that only Cammy ever called him, but fell once his attention went back to the slip of fabric in his hands.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Carlos shot back, getting slightly suspicious.

Cameron made a show of examining it. "Where'd you get a girl's shirt?"

Carlos looked at him quizzically. "Right here. Next to your dresser." He gave Cameron a look that made it obvious he wanted him to explain how it got there.

Cameron looked appropriately shocked. "Really? I have no idea how it got there. I've never seen it before," he said very convincingly.

Carlos faltered. He knew he shouldn't believe Cameron. It was pretty obvious that he was lying. But he wanted to believe him.

He thrust the camisole at Cameron with a pout. "Well get rid of it. I can't stand to look at it."

Cameron internally grinned as he left the room. He didn't really plan on throwing it away; he could always return it to Scarlett the next time he saw her. He couldn't believe how well Carlos had taken the whole situation. If it had been the other way around with Scar somehow figuring out that a certain shirt wasn't in fact his, she would have dumped him in a heart beat. That just made him all the more glad that he found someone as dumb and gullible as Carlos to be his "one and only." Yeah right.

**~*B.T.R.*~**

Kendall was concerned. Carlos had been cooped up in the room he shared with James since he had gotten back from Cameron's place. He hadn't spoken to anyone and Kendall was worried that something had happened. He finally made himself go confront his friend.

He knocked, but didn't wait for Carlos's answer before he entered the room. Inside he found Carlos curled up on his bed crying. He rushed over, kneeling on the floor next to the bed. He ran his fingers through the hair that wasn't covered by the blanket over Carlos's head.

"Carlos, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

For a long moment, all Kendall heard was loud sniffles and whimpers coming from beneath the blanket. But then they subsided slightly and Carlos peeked out from his little cocoon, eyes red and watery.

"It's so awful, Kendall. I think Cameron cheated on me." Carlos's voice cracked on the last word before he let out another heart-wrenching sob.

Kendall wasn't completely shocked, but he was beyond angry. Even though he had seen this coming, he couldn't control his anger at his friend's boyfriend. What the hell was that guy's problem? Didn't he know he was holding perfection when he got to experience the privilege of having Carlos in his arms?

"What makes you say that, Carlos?" Kendall asked, his voice giving away his barely-concealed anger.

Carlos sniffed. "Well, today when I was at Cam's, I found this girl's tank top thing. But Cameron said he had never seen it before and that he didn't know how it got there. And I let it go because I really wanted to believe him, Kendall, so badly. But I know he was lying and I can't stop thinking about it. How could he do that to me, Kendall? Why would cheat on me? I thought he loved me," Carlos said brokenly.

Kendall stood up and gently nudged Carlos over on the bed before taking the spot he vacated. Once he was laid out comfortably next to him, he wrapped comforting arms around Carlos.

"He's an asshole. You shouldn't have just let it go, Carlos. There's no excuse for what he did and you don't deserve to be treated that way. The only feelings he cares about are his own. You should have dumped him," Kendall said heatedly.

Carlos let out a shuddering breath. "But I love him…"

Kendall sighed, tightening his hold on the hurt boy he was in love with. "I know, Carlos. I know."

**Soo. Yeah. Cameron's a douche but don't worry! He'll be out of the picture soon enough! Please review…**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here ya go.**

**Chapter 4: The Confession**

The next morning, Kendall was on the move. He had stayed with Carlos the whole night and had watched as Carlos slowly cried himself out, finally falling asleep around midnight, all the while his mind racing and his blood boiling. There was no way that he could just let Cameron get away with cheating on Carlos. He had to do something about it. So he had left Carlos asleep in bed this morning, intent on having a "chat" with Cameron before they had to be in the studio at 10:45, which was in an hour.

Kendall soon found himself at Cameron's door, banging on it repeatedly and quite loudly. He didn't know if Cameron lived with his parents or not and he didn't really care. Before long the door was swinging open to reveal a very annoyed Cameron. When he saw that it was Kendall, his frown only intensified. He knew Kendall didn't like him, and that was plenty enough reason for him not to like the blonde either.

"What are you doing here, Knight?" he asked rudely.

But the only answer he got was a punch to the face. Before he could react properly, Kendall punched him again, this time knocking him to the ground. He tried to get up to defend himself but Kendall quickly pinned him down.

"What the fuck, Kendall?" he exclaimed angrily.

Kendall gave a sarcastic chuckle. "Don't act like you don't know what that was for. You know what you did, you bastard. I should really do more to than this for you cheating on Carlos, but I don't think you're really worth it. But let me tell you this: leave Carlos alone. I don't want you going near him ever again. Text or call him once to say it's over and then that's it. Or else I will do more than a couple hits to that pretty face you're so proud of," Kendall said threateningly.

Even though the position he was in put him at a disadvantage, Cameron still smirked cockily. "Why should I? Did Carlos agree to this 'demand' you're making? I bet he didn't. Because he's so innocent and gullible that he probably thinks that it won't happen again and that things will go back to being all normal and perfect. And he doesn't have to know that they won't. As long as he wants me, he can have me, at least for a little while longer. I'm not done playing with him quite yet," he finished with a cruel smile.

Kendall's face was red with rage and he released it in the form of repeatedly smashing his fist to Cameron's face. He stopped when he saw his face starting to swell and his mouth starting to bleed. He figured that was enough to get his message across about how he felt about that. He stood, gave one sharp kick to Cameron's side as he tried to get up, and left without another word. He would keep him away from Carlos one way or another.

~***B.T.R.*~**

It had been a week since Carlos had last seen Cameron that day at his apartment. He wanted to think it was because he was keeping the promise he had made to Kendall about taking a break from Cameron for a little while. But the real reason was that Cameron was ignoring him. Even though he wasn't supposed to, he had found the time to text or call Cameron, but he never responded. Carlos was kind of worried, and he probably would have been more upset than that if Kendall wasn't so good at keeping his mind off of Cameron. When they were in the Palmwoods classroom, Kendall would keep him busy passing notes back and forth when the lessons got boring so his mind didn't drift. But they were usually interrupted by the sharp slap of a yard stick onto their desks from the teacher or a piercing look from Logan, both clearly stating "get back to work." In the studio, he would keep him occupied with play fights and other antics when they weren't singing or dancing.

But it was most notable when they were home. If James and Logan weren't off doing their own things, Kendall made sure that they were included by engaging everyone in a game, whether it was living room hockey, dome hockey, video game hockey or just watching hockey on TV. Carlos liked it best, though, when it was just him and Kendall. No offense to Logan and James. Because when the urge to call or text Cameron was especially strong and neither James nor Logan was around, Kendall would be there, and he did something with Carlos that he wasn't especially used to doing with anyone, not even Cameron.

He talked. He knows that sounds stupid, but really. Carlos never really had a conversation with any girl; they usually just blew him off or he did most of the talking. He and his friends had bonded more over hockey than anything, so actually talking to each other hadn't really occurred. And when it came to Cameron, aside from that first date, they didn't talk much. Of course there was the usual dialogue when you were in a relationship – 'I miss you' 'Can you come over' 'What are you doing' etc. – but it wasn't very substantial. Cameron was much more passionate about the physical aspect of their relationship.

But Kendall actually talked with him. They talked for hours, never seeming to run out of subjects to speak about. With these conversations, Carlos was learning new things about his friend he had never known before, opening his eyes to see Kendall in a brand-new light. He had always thought of Kendall as the strong one, the one with direction. Kendall was the leader that always knew how to get them out of trouble when Logan didn't. But with every word exchanged between them, he saw that Kendall wasn't invincible; he had doubts and insecurities just as everyone else did.

And just moments before, Kendall had confessed to him that he was bisexual too. And that there was a guy he liked, but he was afraid it could never work.

Carlos frowned and scooted closer to Kendall where they sat on Kendall's bed. "Why not?" he asked, unable to see his logic.

Kendall was a great guy. And Carlos wasn't blind to the attractive flip of that blonde hair or the gorgeous glimmer of his pale green eyes. He was sure that whomever it was that Kendall liked would see it too.

Kendall sighed. What made him decide to try this subtle approach at telling Carlos about his feelings? He should have known it would be difficult.

"Well, first off, I know for a fact that he isn't interested in me," he finally said.

The frown stayed on Carlos's face, deepening slightly. "How do you know? Is he straight or homophobic or something?"

"Or something," he said under his breath, but decided to just tell the truth. "No, he's bisexual. I do know that."

"Well, you never know until you try. Just go for it," Carlos said encouragingly, his frown being replaced by a bright smile.

Kendall tried not to let on how much that smile affected him as let out another big pointer. "But he has a boyfriend."

The frown returned. Now Carlos was curious as to whom it was that Kendall liked. How many gay couples were there actually at the Palmwoods? Carlos didn't see how Kendall could have met the guy somewhere else, but the only couple he could think of was he and Cameron. And as soon as that thought entered his mind, so did his suspicion.

"Who exactly is it that you like, Kendall?" Carlos asked, the suspicion he was feeling sinking into his voice.

Kendall started to panic slightly, thinking that Carlos had figured him out. He was certain that Carlos would hate him now. And he was right. Sort of. As soon as Carlos had seen the panicky guilt in Kendall's eyes, Carlos thought that it proved his suspicions true.

"I can't believe you, Kendall! How could you go and hurt me by liking Cameron!" Carlos exclaimed angrily. Kendall gave him a surprised, confused look, but Carlos ignored it, too caught up in his hurt rant. "I bet that's the reason you made me stop seeing him, because you were jealous! Next, are you going to be telling me that you had something to do with why he's ignoring me now, too? And to think I thought we were best friends! Some friend you are," Carlos finished quietly, his eyes misted over slightly.

As Carlos started to leave the room, Kendall finally found his voice. "No, Carlos, wait!" He scrambled off of the bed and caught Carlos at the door. "That's not it at all! I don't like Cameron! I actually kind of hate him, but that's not the point!" Kendall said breathlessly.

Carlos looked at him, calmed a little, but not all together believing him. "Well if you don't like Cameron, then who _do_ you like?" he asked, his irritation apparent in his voice.

Kendall breathed deeply through his nose. It was now or never. "You."

Carlos jerked his head back, mouth falling open in astonishment. "Me?"

"Yeah, you. I can't tell you how long I've had these feelings but I never thought that I had a chance with you anyways. I mean, as soon as I found out you liked guys, you were already making a date with someone else. And then, every time I saw you with Cameron or you mentioned Cameron, I always felt this weight inside my chest. This pressure that would try to suffocate me and all I could think about was that I was so much better. That I can make you happier than he ever could if you would only give us a chance. So, yeah, you were right about me making you stop seeing Cameron because I was jealous, but not about of whom. It was always him I was jealous of, not you," Kendall said softly, gently letting the back of his fingers run across Carlos's cheek, that gentleness reflected in his eyes.

Carlos stared at him, still shocked. "You like _me_?"

Kendall laughed lightly. Carlos was just so cute. "Yes, Carlos. I like. _You_," he stated with emphasis.

Carlos blinked and his mind seemed to be finally be catching up. Kendall watched his face as he processed everything, his eyes following him as Carlos left the doorway to return to Kendall's bed, but Kendall stayed where he was. Finally, Carlos sighed and looked over at Kendall with saddened eyes. Kendall's heart dropped.

"Kendall…" Carlos started to trail off, but then seemed to regain his courage. "Kendall I don't really know what to say. I mean, I don't totally hate the idea of being with you. I honestly think that we could probably make it work. But I can't ignore my feelings for Cameron. I know you don't understand but I can't make them just go away because he cheated. He really hurt me and I'm really mad, but I still love him."

A little bit of Kendall's anger returned. "But that's just it, Carlos. He cheated. What's stopping him from doing it again? Can you really not see what kind of guy he is? He's a conceited womanizer who only cares about himself. You might not want to hear it, but it's true. I just wish you would see it and break up with that douche-bag," Kendall said vehemently.

Carlos felt his eyes get hot at Kendall's words, but he willed himself not to cry. He had cried entirely too much recently and he knew he was acting like a girl. But still, Kendall's words did kind of hurt him, even though they really weren't about him. Because if what Kendall said was true, how could he ever trust himself to judge someone correctly ever again? Carlos stayed silent for a few more seconds, contemplating this whole messed up situation.

Finally, he spoke up again. "Okay," he said quietly. Kendall opened his mouth to speak, but Carlos continued. "I'll break up with Cameron. I understand what you're telling me, and I guess I have to accept it. But when it comes to a 'me and you,' I think I need a bit more time before I consider it further."

Carlos could see warring emotions of disappointment and happiness on Kendall's face and gave him a tiny smile to let him know that there was still possibly hope for it in the future. Kendall returned a smile of his own before he made his way back over to his bed to sit beside Carlos. He took his hand in his, intertwining their fingers.

"I'm not going to lie and say that it doesn't matter to me, because it does. But I will say that I love you and all that I really want is for you to be happy. So you can take forever if you need to, do your own thing, see other people and I won't object as long as they treat you right. No matter how long it takes, I'll still be here, waiting," Kendall said with a smile.

Carlos looked up into his friend's eyes, seeing the love he had spoken of shining through them, and Carlos gave the bright, goofy grin he was famous for in return.

"You know what, Kendall? I'm thinking that you won't be waiting for very long."

With that said Carlos leaned over and kissed the blonde soundly on the lips. And Kendall knew then that Carlos was finally his.

**Yep. Now I guess Carlos and Kendall are official and he's gonna break up with Cameron. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow, I'm so happy this story is getting so much positive feedback! Thank you guys for reading my story and reviewing it!**

**Chapter 5 – The Break-Up**

The next day, Carlos knew he had to talk to Cameron. If he was really going to try things out with Kendall, he had to break up with Cameron first. But when he tried texting and calling him, Cameron ignored him, just as he had all week. But now Carlos knew why. Kendall had told him the night before about his confrontation with Cameron, and the fact that Cam was actually listening to Kendall just went to show how much of a coward he was despite his cocky attitude. It made Carlos all the more grateful to Kendall for opening his eyes to who Cameron really was.

A part of Carlos wanted to just ignore Cameron as well and get on with his relationship with Kendall, letting the distance between them signal the end of "Carlos and Cameron." But another part of him, the angry part, wanted to break it off face to face so he could shove it down Cameron's throat that he hadn't broken him, that he was perfectly happy with someone else and that _he_ was the one breaking up with _him._

With this frame of mind, Carlos found himself sitting outside of Cameron's apartment fifteen minutes before he was supposed to be out of the studio. He wanted to make sure he didn't miss him. This gave him time to think about what he was going to say when Cameron got there. He wanted to get out of there as soon as he could. Even though he had a lot of questions racing through his mind, he wouldn't voice them. He wouldn't give Cameron the satisfaction of knowing that he hurt him so deeply. A simple "I'm breaking up with you" would have to do.

Kendall had offered to come with him to break up with Cameron but Carlos felt that this was something he had to do alone. There was no real reason for this feeling except that he just wanted to say "I'm going in alone." But now he was kind of second guessing that decision as he felt kind of nervous to be seeing Cameron alone. Despite wanting to move on, he knew that Cameron held a certain power over him. He was afraid that Cameron might see his vulnerability and prey on it. If that happened, his plan was to keep Kendall in the back of his mind to remind him that he could do better than Cameron, that Cameron didn't really love him and Kendall did.

Carlos had just started to overcome his nerves when the elevator chimed its arrival. They immediately returned as he looked up to see Cameron step out of it. His nerves only worsened, bringing with them a hot anger when he saw that he wasn't alone. There, under Cameron's arm with his mouth attached to the spot below her ear, giggling the whole time, was the blonde haired new girl who had just arrived at the Palmwoods a few weeks ago. Star or something like that. Carlos stood up from his spot against the wall and waited as they approached him from down the hall. They were more than halfway to him before either of them noticed him standing there. A look of surprise lit up Cameron's face while the blonde just looked confused. Carlos tried to ignore her presence.

"Cam, we need to talk," he said hotly, trying to keep the underlying hurt out of his voice.

Cameron stared at him a second longer before he smirked. He gave a slight nod to acknowledge Carlos's statement as he unlocked the door to his apartment before he turned to the girl.

"Scar, I'm sure this won't take long. Why don't you go wait for me in my room?" he said seductively.

Carlos watched as the girl – Scarlett he now remembered – giggled flirtatiously before laying a long kiss onto Cameron's lips. Cameron returned it, all the while trying to gauge Carlos's reaction. He was disappointed to see that he didn't have one. Scarlett finally pulled away with a husky "Don't keep me waiting too long" before she entered the apartment and shut the door behind her. Carlos gave himself a mental pat on the back that he was able to keep a straight face throughout the whole scene. There was no way that he would allow Cameron to see how bad he was making him feel.

"What do you want? Did my ignoring of your calls and texts not make it obvious that I don't want to see you?" Cameron asked sarcastically.

Carlos knew that Cameron was only trying to hurt him, and even though he had succeeded, he knew that he couldn't let Cameron know that. So to save himself from any further hurt, he ignored his comment and decided to just say what he had to before Cameron could say anything else.

"I'm here to break up with you."

Cameron gave off a little incredulous laugh. "Oh, really? What, did your little friend Kendall convince you that you could do better than me or something? Well, I hate to break it to you, Losie. I'm the best you could ever get. No one wants some dumb naïve little boy wearing some stupid helmet who doesn't put out. _I_ don't even want you. So you can go ahead and break up with me but just remember that you're nothing, you'll always be nothing and nothing nobodies like you are the ones that get overlooked," he finished snidely.

Tears of anger and hurt had gathered in Carlos's eyes as Cameron spoke and they were falling down his cheeks by the time he was finished. "You're wrong! Somebody wants me and they're way better than you could ever dream of being! Kendall loves me just the way I am, even if I'm dumb and naïve and wear my stupid helmet. To him, I'm something and I'll always be the first thing he sees. It's _you_ that's really nothing. All you do is hurt people and make them feel bad to make yourself feel better. I bet that underneath that self-centered cocky shell you've got is an insecure coward who has no balls. You're just a bully and you suck. I sincerely hope you go to H-E-double-hockey-sticks!" Carlos shouted angrily before he marched away, not wanting to hear anything else that Cameron might have to say.

He quickly made his way down the stairs to the second floor. He was still furious when he slammed the door of apartment 2J behind him, his shoulders shaking and his hands clenched into fists. Carlos calmed down a bit once he saw Kendall lounging on the orange couch with the TV off and giving him a worried glance. He quickly sat up and made to come towards him, but Carlos went to sit next to him instead. When he was there, he laid his head against Kendall's shoulder and a flood of tears came a second later. Kendall wrapped his arms around him, shushing him as he started to sob quietly.

"I hate him so much, Kendall. He had the new girl with him when he got there and he didn't even try to hide what they were going to do. And the things he said were so hurtful. But it's over now and I don't have to speak to him ever again. He knows about us and he can't hurt me anymore because I have you and you'll beat him up if he tries, right?" Carlos asked, looking up at Kendall while sniffling.

Kendall laughed before leaning down to peck Carlos sweetly. "Right, Carlos."

**There it is. Now to really begin the Kenlos love! Reviews would be muchly appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm so sorry about the long wait, but I've been internetally-challenged for a while. I've decided to just post the rest of the chapters now instead of drawing them out since it's been so long already. Hopefully not too many of you gave this story up as a lost hope! But thanks for reading it anyway. (:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush (or the image mentioned at the bottom).**

**Chapter 6 – The Surprise**

**One Month Later**

Carlos pouted even as he waved to James and Logan from his spot against Kendall's side on the orange couch as they walked out the door for their dates. He really wished that he and Kendall could go out for a date like James and Logan were with some new girls that had showed up at the Palmwoods that week. But he knew that Gustavo wouldn't allow it. But not because they were keeping their relationship a secret. Quite the opposite, actually.

When Carlos had been with Cameron, Gustavo had said that Cameron's career was too new to start a scandal like that, so they were forced to keep their relationship secret. Cameron hadn't seemed to mind as much as Carlos though. But when it came to Carlos and Kendall, Gustavo had figured that their fan base was large enough that it wouldn't affect record sales too much if they went public. They hadn't known what to expect when they told Logan, James, Katie and Mrs. Knight that they were dating earlier that day, but they were relieved to hear that no one hated them and they were fine with it. But Mama Knight had set some ground rules; no being alone behind a closed door, keep the PDA to a minimum in front of Katie and no sleeping in the same bed. They figured she was being pretty lenient even if they didn't really like it.

But then they had to overcome telling everyone. So, a few days after they had started dating, Kendall and Carlos announced their relationship to everyone at the Palmwoods pool. They had been worried about the response they would receive, but their closer friends were happy for them while the rest didn't care and just ignored them.

Soon after that, every gossip magazine and celebrity news show started pushing for an interview. That first Friday night after they had gotten together they _attempted_ to have a nice first date, but paparazzi had followed them from the moment they hit the Palmwoods parking lot until they came back afterwards. They were forced to stay outside when Kendall and Carlos sat down to dinner at a nice downtown restaurant, but that didn't stop the awkwardness from settling in as they could still clearly hear the chatter from inside. To say the least, it wasn't very enjoyable as far as first dates go.

Gustavo's orders from then on were no dates. He didn't want to risk anything causing bad publicity with the media so close. But Kendall had wanted to know why they couldn't still have dates as long as they stayed in, and Gustavo agreed. So the next Saturday, Kendall rented a couple of movies and set up a big bowl of popcorn, some candy and some drinks for a movie date. Carlos had thought it was really sweet, and even though it was something they had done many times before they had started dating, it was different when it was just the two of them and under the circumstances they had now.

The following Friday Carlos invited Kendall for his and her smoothies before they played a game of one on one lobby hockey. That led to them hiding from Bitters in a supply closet where they engaged in a very memorable make-out session. Then they headed back to the apartment where they enjoyed some good ol' fish sticks and tater tots with the rest of the family.

Carlos didn't know what Kendall had planned for them tonight, so he had no way of knowing whether what James and Logan were doing on their dates was better than his and Kendall's, but he was still jealous.

Carlos tapped Kendall's chest, bringing his attention away from some old movie playing on the television. "What are we doing for our date tonight?" he asked curiously.

Kendall just smiled indulgently at him. "It's a secret."

Carlos gave him a puzzled look. "Why? There's not much we can do at the Palmwoods. Why can't you just tell me so I know?"

Kendall turned back to the television, throwing his arm around Carlos's shoulders. "You'll see," he said simply.

Carlos frowned with a huff before getting off the couch and heading to his room. Stupid Kendall and his secrets. Hadn't they learned that those weren't good to keep from your friends? Especially his_ boyfriend_? He fell face first onto his bed and buried his face into his pillow. He was pleasantly surprised to smell the scent of Kendall's shampoo still clinging onto it from the night before. Kendall had quietly snuck into his and James's room so he didn't alert Mama Knight, and he had laid there next to Carlos, holding him close while he fell asleep.

Carlos smiled as he remembered it. Kendall had yet to try to take their relationship to the next level, which had surprised him because Cameron had wanted to nearly 3 weeks into the relationship. But even though Kendall had taken to sneaking into his bed, they hadn't done more than kiss once he got there before they went to sleep. Carlos now took it as a sign that Kendall actually cared about him for more than just his body, unlike Cameron. So why was he being mean? It wasn't nice to keep things from the people you love. Carlos hadn't kept anything from Kendall! Well, except the time he had eaten the last slice of pizza that was meant for Kendall and he didn't tell him about that. But this was different! There was no pizza involved this time. At least he didn't think. See! He would know if there was pizza involved or not if Kendall would just tell him!

He was thinking very hard on how he could force Kendall to tell him when the door opened. He looked up to see Kendall in the doorway smiling at him.

"It's time to get ready for our date, Carlitos."

Carlos sat up. "Well if you won't tell me what we're doing, could you at least tell me if I'm dressed right?" Carlos asked with a pout as he spread his arms out away from his body.

Kendall let his eyes travel slowly down Carlos's body, a mischievous smirk gracing his lips. "_Well_, you would look just right if you weren't wearing that outfit…"

Carlos frowned. "Then what am I supposed to wear?" he asked, oblivious to Kendall's meaning.

Kendall just raised his eyebrows and gave him a meaningful look. It took a second for it to sink in.

"_Really_, Kendall?"

Kendall laughed lightly before fully entering the room. That was when Carlos's attention dropped to the plastic bag in his hand.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing.

Kendall raised the bag. "Your outfit for tonight." He said no more.

Carlos took it and peered inside. Then immediately raised his eyes to stare at Kendall incredulously. "You want me to dress up like a girl? What for?" He pulled the blonde wig and ugly floral dress out of the bag. "And look at this! Could I at least be a well-dressed girl? With hair that actually goes with my skin tone?"

"Well, you could go borrow Logan's girl outfit if you'd rather wear that."

"No, what I'd _rather wear_ is something that doesn't belong on a girl."

Kendall sighed as if Carlos was a difficult child that wouldn't eat his vegetables. "Carlos, I'm trying to make this special and keep it a surprise and you're not helping any. Just trust me. Put it on."

Carlos frowned some more and just stood there for a few minutes before he began to change into the wig and dress, grumbling all the while. Kendall watched him for a minute before walking out of the room. He knew that Carlos was confused and upset and he didn't like being the source of those feelings. But the date he had planned was so perfect and he was sure that Carlos would love it. And if Gustavo ranted about them breaking the "no public dates" rule, he had his argument all set up. How could it be a public date when the location is private?

Kendall entered his and Logan's room and began donning his own disguise for the night, which consisted of a very furry mustache, a black wig, shades, and a tourist type tropical print shirt. Hideous, but it would have to do in order for them to exit the Palmwoods safely and unrecognizable. He was positive that by the end of the night, it would all be worth it. He couldn't wait for this date to begin. 

~***B.T.R.*~**

Carlos has mixed feelings about this. On one hand, he was really excited that they were finally going out for a date! On the other, they were going out for a date, which meant they'd probably get yelled at by Gustavo when he found out. So far, no one had recognized them. But then again, they had been driving since they left the Palmwoods, which was forty-five minutes ago **(1)**.

"Kendall, where are we going? I don't think we're in LA anymore."

"We're not. And don't worry, we're almost there. I'm sure you'll recognize it when you see it," Kendall said, grinning slyly.

Carlos sat back, having realized earlier that Kendall was being adamant about this secret. He didn't even budge when Carlos had given him the full power of the pout combined with puppy-dog eyes.

Before long, the spaced-out houses they drove past began to look vaguely familiar. Carlos's mouth fell open when Kendall pulled into the driveway of the house at which some of his best – and worst – summertime memories had occurred.

"Why are we at Griffin's beach house?" Carlos asked, awe, shock and excitement written all over his face.

Kendall smiled as he turned off the rental car borrowed from Mama Knight, unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car before he walked to the other side to open Carlos's door. Carlos just sat there staring up at Kendall, looking ridiculous with the wind-blown wig still on his head.

"We're here for our date. Come on, get out of the car," Kendall urged as he helped him undo his seatbelt.

That's about the time when Carlos's excitement kicked in full gear and he bounced out of the car.

"What are we doing? Are we surfing? Swimming? Is it a surprise beach party? Does Griffin have an in-home theater that we're going to use?"

Carlos rattled off questions as he trailed behind Kendall who just ignored him as he entered the house. From the corner of his eye, he saw two figures scurry out the back and he turned to Carlos.

"We are doing none of those things. But we are going to the beach, where your surprise awaits you, kind sir," he said, bowing and taking on a medieval tone of voice.

Carlos giddily ran past him towards the back path to the beach. Halfway down, Carlos slowed as he took in the sight before him. A beautiful sunset had just begun to light the sky, illuminating the near-white sand. And there, literally set up in the beach, was a white cloth-covered table made of sand, holding a setting for two. On either side of the sand-table were benches also constructed of sand and pillows that must have come from the beach house. And all around the set up were candles in red box-covers **(2)**. It was truly amazing and Carlos had never seen anything like it. He was overwhelmed that Kendall would go through the trouble to set something like this up for _him._ Although Kendall always had been the romantic one.

Carlos was nearly right in front of them before he noticed James and Logan standing at the bottom of the steps to the beach.

"What are you guys doing here? What happened to your dates?" Carlos asked, confused.

"That was just a cover story so we could sneak here to set up. What, you didn't think Kendall did all of this himself, did you?" Logan said, laughing as if Carlos had just told him the funniest joke he had ever heard.

By then, Kendall had caught up, and he stood behind Carlos giving Logan a look.

"Anyway, why don't we go sit down and our two lovely _waiters_ can serve us dinner," Kendall said, steering Carlos over to the table.

Carlos just stood there, staring at the mounds of sand doubtfully. "How do you know they won't break and fall when we sit on them?"

"Oh, you know, that whole velocity-inertia-Fig Newton-thing or whatever it is that Logan said when he explained his 'calculations' over the phone earlier. Go ahead and try it out, and if it doesn't hold, we'll just eat in the dining room or we could pull out a beach blanket or something," Kendall said reasonably.

Carlos gave the mounds one last wary glance before carefully taking a seat on one of them. It seemed to settle slightly, but didn't do much else. He slowly relaxed. After Kendall had taken his seat across from him without incident, he watched as Logan and James carried a cart toward them after they realized that it didn't push very well over sand. Logan stepped forward first and handed them each a piece of paper with the word "Menu" written across it before he pulled a pen and pad from one of the pockets of the half-apron tied at his hips.

"So, what can I get for you guys? Dino chicken nuggets and fries? Excellent choice, gentlemen! And to drink? Of course, you'll have Mr. Fizz! One moment please," Logan said, not pausing the whole time.

Carlos stared blankly as Logan tossed the pen and pad, snatched the papers back and went back to help James. So obviously there was only one meal selection and it wasn't particularly gourmet. Carlos looked back to Kendall, who was looking sheepish.

"Sorry. You know Logan and James can't cook. I would have made something but I couldn't chance them burning it trying to reheat it," Kendall explained.

Carlos smiled. "Kendall, it's fine. I may be dressed as a girl, but I'm still a guy. I don't need the whole big fancy set-up, but I still appreciate it. Thank you," Carlos told him softly.

"No problem."

Kendall smiled and leaned forward to kiss him, and Carlos did the same. Their lips were just about to touch when there was a lot of loud banging coming just from Kendall's right. They looked up to see James and Logan quite noisily setting down the cart and lifting trays and plates to place on the table. James took the bottle of Mr. Fizz out of the ice bucket – a large mixing bowl with about six ice cubes in it – uncapped it and began to pour some into each of the glasses already on the table. Logan served them the chicken nuggets and fries and then stood back. Carlos smiled at them both.

"Thanks guys. I'm so glad we have friends like you," he said sincerely.

Logan grinned. "Aah, it's nothing. Besides, it's not like we're not getting anything out of this, too. Kendall has agreed to be my test subject for any experiments that I might have for the next two months."

"_And_ he had to buy all of my 'Cuda products for the next _three_ months," James interjected smugly.

Carlos winced sympathetically for his boyfriend. Who knows what Logan would think up to "change the world" as we know it? And that was a lot of cash he would be shelling out for James.

"Wait, three months? How come you got three months and I only got two?" Logan complained.

"It doesn't matter," Kendall rushed in, keen on keeping the time limits as short as possible. "We already agreed on it, and I'd like to get on with my date. So, you two run along now," he said, making a shooing motion with his hands.

They each scowled at him, but said nothing as they carried the cart back up to the house. Kendall and Carlos turned their attention to their food and began to eat. Either Logan or James had left a bottle of ketchup and Kendall reached for it. After he had squirted a pile onto his plate, he silently offered it to Carlos.

"Thanks."

They went back to silence. After a few minutes, they both started to notice how awkward it was.

"So..." Kendall began, but trailed off.

What was there to say when they already knew everything about each other? They hadn't really had this problem on their first dinner date because then they had had the paparazzi and the whole out-in-public thing to talk about. But the novelty had worn off slightly, even if the limelight hadn't.

"Yeah..." Carlos returned.

Kendall ate a couple of his fries then took a sip of his drink before he attempted to speak again.

"I didn't think it would be this weird. But I guess there's really nothing for us to talk about when everything we do we basically do together," he said. 

Carlos nodded slowly in agreement. "Yeah..." he repeated.

Again there was silence. That's when Kendall got an idea.

Carlos started when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He usually thought answering your phone, whether it was a call or a text, during a date was kind of rude, but he figured Kendall wouldn't mind considering that they weren't exactly in the middle of an interesting conversation. He gave Kendall a brief apologetic look before pulling out his phone to see he had a new text message. From Kendall?

He looked up at the blonde boy, confused. But Kendall seemed to be really interested in his last few dino chicken nuggets. He decided to just humor Kendall and open it.

_'U look horrible as a girl ;)'_

Carlos looked up at Kendall again, a hint of a smile curving his lips.

**'U dnt look so hot urself, Mr. Mustache (:'**

Carlos didn't bother to hide his smile as he watched Kendall stroke his fake facial hair with mock offense written all over his face. Before long, his phone was buzzing again.

_'Hey, dnt hate on the stache :('_

**'Watevr. U kno u look ridiculous (:'**

They continued texting teasing comments back and forth and the mood lightened considerably. Before long, they were done with their meal and it was completely dark outside. Kendall was surprised to find that James and Logan had already left.

"What the hell? They were supposed to stay and help us clean up!" he exclaimed.

"It's okay. We can do it ourselves," Carlos assured him.

They got to work on gathering and blowing out all of the candles and they cleared the table before collecting the pillows and smoothing the sand back out. Then, together, they carried everything back up to the house, where they just set it all down in the foyer. They figured Griffin had housekeepers that would take care of it later. When they were done, Kendall locked the door and they headed to Mama Knight's rental. In the car, they shed the non-clothing parts of their disguises, feeling silly for not doing so sooner. Then Kendall started the car and they were on their way back to the Palmwoods.

~***B.T.R.*~**

Carlos smiled and moved over in his bed as he made out Kendall's shape entering his room silently.

"Hey," he whispered as he molded himself to his boyfriend's side once he lay beside him.

Kendall placed a brief kiss atop his head in response before snuggling down to go to sleep, wrapping an arm around Carlos's waist. Carlos continued to lay awake in the darkness, listening to the quiet breathing of Kendall beside him and the soft snores of James across the room. Even as James suddenly began mumbling incoherently before rolling over and settling down again, Carlos couldn't help but to think on just how perfect his life was now.

**A/N: (1) I have no idea how long it takes to drive from L.A. to Malibu. Just a guess. Also, I am aware that Logan is the only one with any kind of license in the show, but let's just pretend that Kendall has his.**

**(2) The whole beach scene was a rip off of a picture I saw on Tumblr. I forgot to save the link to the original source, but I'll eventually post it on my profile if anyone wants to see it. Sorry to whomever I basically stole it from! (:**

**I didn't feel that this was really my best chapter because the date felt a bit bland and rushed. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway! Please review! (:**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – The Interview**

**Five Months Later**

Carlos sighed as he closed his eyes and rolled over in his bed, resigning himself to the fact that Kendall wasn't coming tonight. Kendall hadn't come to sleep next to Carlos in close to two weeks now. Carlos knew it was his fault.

Things hadn't been going so smooth between them in the last month or so. Carlos noticed that they had started arguing a bit more than normal. Sure, they had always gotten into small arguments over dumb things, but lately they always seemed a bit more heated and the tension afterwards lasted a bit longer. Since they had started dating, Kendall had always made it a habit to sleep with Carlos unless he thought he would get caught by his mom, and after the first couple real arguments, Kendall had still come to lay with him and they would smooth it over with a few whispered apologies and "I love you's."

But then Kendall stopped sleeping over. And now Carlos was afraid of what that meant. Was Kendall falling out of love with him? Had he _already_ fallen out of love with him? Were they going to break up?

Carlos held back tears that threatened to fall. He couldn't even imagine not being with Kendall. In the six months since they started dating, he had fallen so hard in love with the blonde that sometimes it hurt. How he had felt for Cameron was nothing compared to this. The thought of losing Kendall actually made him sick. There was no way that Kendall would break up with him. Was there?

**~*B.T.R.*~**

Kendall gazed silently at Carlos from across the table, watching as he jerked upright and awake once again just in time to prevent himself from face-planting straight into his bowl of cereal. It might have seemed like typical Morning Carlos behavior if it wasn't for his eyes. It was obvious that he had been crying during the night. His were red and raw looking, and the dark circles beneath them bespoke of a long, sleepless night.

Kendall was worried. He very much wanted to pull his sleepy boyfriend into his arms comfortingly and demand to know what was wrong, yet he didn't think he would get an answer. It upset him to know that Carlos had been crying, and it upset him even further when he thought that it was most likely his fault.

When he had decided to start sleeping in his own bed again, he had thought that it would sort of fix their arguing problem, thinking that they just needed a little bit of space from each other. But it obviously had just caused an entirely new problem. And knowing Carlos, he could guess what it was.

Kendall had just about decided to talk to Carlos when Kelly arrived with the limo waiting downstairs. So he settled for a reassuring smile as he took both of their bowls to the sink. Carlos didn't smile back. He tried not to let that affect him as he kissed his mom on the cheek before following his friends out to the limo. The spring air cleared his head a bit during the brief walk from the Palmwoods entrance to the door of the limo. He took his seat next to Carlos, feeling slightly annoyed, but still concerned, as Carlos ignored him and continued to look out the window. Kendall slid closer to him so that what he was about to say would be somewhat private.

"Carlos, what's going on? I know that you're probably mad at me for not sleeping with you for a while, but can we at least talk about it?" he asked pleadingly.

Carlos slowly turned his head, his face carefully blank of all emotion. He looked at Kendall, trying to see what exactly he meant. Did he really mean talk, as in solve the problem, or _talk_, as in break up? He couldn't tell. Kendall's face was full of regret, sadness, and something that kind of resembled hope, and those emotions proved nothing. Kendall would most likely feel that way if he was making up and if he was breaking up.

"I'm fine, Kendall. We can talk about it later," Carlos said, turning back to the window.

He really wished things would go back to being perfect.

**~*B.T.R.*~**

A week later, they still hadn't talked. Kendall had gone back to sleeping with Carlos, but that didn't seem to matter. Carlos was still distancing himself from Kendall and he couldn't figure out why. Kendall had been making a special effort to make sure that he and Carlos didn't argue. Many a time he attempted to get Carlos alone so they could talk about and resolve their problems, but Carlos seemed to want to avoid talking to Kendall all together.

It confused Kendall to no end. When he had first noticed that something was wrong with Carlos, he had at first assumed that Carlos was worried that he wanted to break up with him since he had been staying in his own room. But now, Kendall was fearing it was the other way around. Did _Carlos_ actually want to break up with _him_?

Kendall pondered on it for a long time. Maybe Carlos had been crying that night because he had felt guilty about wanting to break up with him. And he's been avoiding conversation since then because he doesn't know how to do it yet. And he's been distancing himself because he's hoping that will lessen Kendall's hurt. Kendall had it all worked out in his mind, and he was beginning to believe it. He was looking at his boyfriend differently, wondering bitterly when he was planning on ripping his heart out.

Carlos was oblivious to Kendall's thoughts, too focused on his own. All he could think about was that he couldn't take this suspense any longer. Each moment of every day he spent fearing that Kendall would suddenly tell him it was over. And Carlos had been trying his hardest to put it off.

When Kendall had first started sleeping in Carlos's room again, he has been hopeful that it meant that he had been wrong. But then it occurred to him that Kendall was just doing it to make him feel better. So whenever Kendall came into his and James's room, Carlos stayed turned away towards the wall, not acknowledging Kendall even if he put his arms around him. And he was sure that every time that Kendall brought up the fact that they needed to talk, he was really planning on breaking up with him. So he had started retreating, distancing himself in hopes it would lessen the pain of the rejection that was sure to come.

Neither boy realized that they were both wrong and that they were just making the situation worse. Neither noticed that they were both creating the same situation about the other boy, when in reality, they were both hurting and they were both afraid. And the tiny crack in their relationship was quickly becoming a deep ravine, forcing them apart with each passing day.

**~*B.T.R.*~**

You used to be able to find them comfortably wrapped around each other. You may have possibly even interrupted a heated kiss or was confused to hear them laughing at a joke only they were in on. Happy, content, and in love.

Now they sat with a noticeable space between them. There was an awkward silence between Kendall and Carlos as they stared at the TV, but neither of them was paying any real attention to it. That is, until they recognized a certain jerk appear there.

Tensions had remained between Cameron and them, but neither Carlos nor Kendall had really had any contact with him besides an occasional glare when they crossed paths. They both would have liked to have gotten rid of him, but Gustavo had said in no uncertain terms that they had to suck it up and deal with him. Yes, it was very sad that Cameron was a douche and had treated Carlos badly, but Cameron had a contract, and his choice of character wasn't reason enough to break it. So they had to content themselves with the fact that it seemed Cameron had moved on just as Carlos and Kendall had.

Or not.

Their attentions had only been slightly piqued at the sight of Cameron's cocky face filling the screen, but when one of the Big Time Rush promotional pictures flashed across it, they sat up and listened more intently.

"_So you mean to say that the two of you had an intimate relationship before that,"_ the interviewer stated for clarification.

"_Oh, definitely,"_ Cameron said, grinning charmingly. _"Carlos asked me out my first day in the studio. Of course, I had no idea that he would dump me for his band mate three months later," _he finished, appearing for all the world as if he was the victim in all of this.

"What is he doing?" Carlos asked aloud, incredulously.

"That's exactly what I want to know," Kendall murmured.

"_So what made you two decide to pick your relationship back up?"_ the interviewer asked curiously.

"WHAT?" Carlos exploded.

"_About a month ago, Carlos and I decided to start over as friends. That's when I found out that he and Kendall were having a few issues in their relationship. And before long, feelings between us progressed and… you know," _Cameron said with mock modesty.

"_Your relationship became sexual?"_ the interviewer asked bluntly.

Cameron slowly nodded his head, a small smile on his lips. _"Yes."_

"I can't believe him!" Carlos exclaimed furiously.

"Shh!" Kendall let out at him.

Carlos started to say something back, but decided not to, turning back to focus on the interview just as intently as it appeared Kendall was.

"_So what made you come public with this? Does Carlos know you're here?"_

"_No, he doesn't know. But we've talked a lot about him leaving the band and he and Kendall breaking up. Carlos is such a sweet guy, and he didn't know how to do it because he didn't want to hurt his friends." _Cameron said as if he felt sorry for his "lover."

"_But don't you think he'll be upset that you took such drastic measures to do it for him?"_

Cameron sighed, giving the impression that this was something that he had struggled with himself. _"Yes, he most likely will be. Like I said, he doesn't want to hurt them. But I think that this way is best. Lying is never the right way to go about something, and I think it's about time we come clean about everything."_

"_If Carlos, or any of his band mates, happened to be watching this interview, what would you say to them?" _the interviewer asked heavily.

Cameron looked directly into the camera, taking a deep breath and smiling tremulously. _"Well, I don't know what I can say to Carlos's other friends because I've never really gotten to know them, but to Kendall – Dude, I'm seriously so, so sorry that things turned out the way they did, but I'm sure you've said it yourself; Carlos is special. He's perfect. And Carlos, babe, it's all good. I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you before doing this, but I figured that it was time they knew. Don't let whatever happens because of this effect our relationship. It's you and me, Losie, and nothing else matters. And who knows? Maybe we'll start our own band together and become the greatest pop-stars in history."_ Insert really fake laugh here.

Carlos felt sick. He blocked out the rest of what the woman doing the interview was saying, unable to comprehend what he had just heard. Was Cameron delusional? They had in no way, shape, or form had any type of a relationship or contact since they had broken up. After a moment, it occurred to him that Cameron had done it on purpose in order to hurt him. Why was Cameron so set on ruining his life, even after all of these months?

He became aware of his surroundings once again when the TV suddenly clicked off and Kendall jumped up from his spot on the couch. Carlos continued to sit, silently watching him pace back and forth. He opened his mouth to say something, but Kendall abruptly stopped in front of him and spoke before he could.

"Do you mind telling me what the hell he was talking about?" Kendall asked him in an almost too calm tone of voice.

"What do you mean? Your guess is as good as mine. He probably lied about all of that stuff just to hurt us," Carlos said, scowling at the TV as if Cameron's image was still there.

"Really? How am I supposed to know that he wasn't telling the truth? It all seemed pretty plausible to me," Kendall snapped.

Carlos gaped at him in disbelief. "What, you believe him? After knowing what kind of guy he is, you'd still believe that crap he spouted?" Carlos bellowed angrily.

"Well, of course, I know he was probably lying about it being because he thought it was the right thing to do and because he loves you. And you're right that he probably did it to hurt us both. But why would he wait until now to say something like that unless it was true? And I can't see any other way that he would know that we've only been having problems in the last month unless _you_ told him!"

Kendall paused and Carlos tried to speak again, but Kendall carried right on, cutting him off as he continued his pacing.

"It all makes sense now, I guess. I knew something was up with you; how you've been getting more and more distant lately, how you never seem to want to talk or cuddle or do _anything_ with me anymore! And that one night you had been crying. It was probably because you felt guilty about what happened after you're '_feelings progressed.'_ I really can't believe you would do that with _him_ of all people, when he proved that he didn't really care about you. But I do. And I kept getting this feeling that you wanted to break up with me. Guess I'm not crazy after all, am I?" Kendall finished sadly, halting his movements to lean dejectedly against the bar.

Carlos's anger had left him, and all that he was left with now was a sick feeling of horror mingled with a deep emotional pain. How could Kendall possibly believe any of that? Not only what Cameron had said, but that he had been wanting to break up with him? This whole situation was tremendously messed up. Did Cameron have any idea what his lies had done to them? Of course he did, Carlos thought miserably. He wanted them to break up, to hate each other. Cameron couldn't stand the fact that Carlos was happy, when he most likely wasn't. Some how, he had noticed the problems developing between them and had come up with this whole scheme to completely destroy them. Carlos had to fix this. He had to fix it now.

"No, Kendall, this is completely out of control! You have to know that Cameron was lying, that I would never do that to you, _especially_ with him. Did you forget how me and you even got together in the first place? It was because of him. And I would _never_ in a million years take him back. He's made up this whole story to tear us apart, to ruin what we have. Please don't let him do this to us," Carlos pleaded, voice cracking and eyes stinging.

A drawn out silence ensued before Kendall finally looked up at him, and Carlos saw the wetness on his cheeks. "Say that I do believe you. Then what's your excuse for the way you've been acting?" he asked doubtfully.

Carlos sighed, closing his eyes. They were finally having the talk he had been putting off. But now they had to have it, or he risked losing Kendall anyway.

"The reason I've been acting this way is because I didn't want to lose you," he said quietly.

"Well that makes a whole lot of sense," Kendall said sarcastically, swiping at the tears on his cheeks.

"I thought _you_ wanted to break up with _me_. So I –"

"Wait, what? Why would you think I wanted to break up with you?" Kendall asked, a frown furrowing his bushy eyebrows.

"Because we seemed to be arguing a lot. And then you didn't come to my room at night anymore and all I kept thinking was that you didn't love me anymore and that you wanted to break up with me," he answered in a small voice.

Kendall stared at him, completely befuddled. "So… you had been crying that night… because you thought I didn't love you anymore and that I wanted to break up with you," he stated for confirmation. Carlos nodded. "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard."

Carlos glared. "Well, it's true! And that's why I've been distant, because I was readying myself for the pain of when you would actually do it."

Kendall shook his head shamefully. "I can't believe you actually thought I wanted to break up with you! The only reason that I had started sleeping in my room again was because I figured we both needed a little bit of space to help us get over the arguing. I thought it would solve our problems, not cause new ones. And you would know that, if you had ever let me actually talk to you, instead of you saying 'later' all the time," Kendall said scoldingly.

Carlos had started to smile in relief, but now his expression sobered slightly. "I'm really sorry, Kendall. For thinking that you wanted to break up with me and contributing to all of this drama. I didn't think about my actions hurting you at all, and I'm sorry that I did. I love you so much, Kendall, and I couldn't stand to be without you," he said, fresh tears springing to his eyes.

Kendall looked back at him, eyes shining as well. "Me, too, Carlos. I owe you a bigger apology for believing Cameron for even a second. I know there's no way that any of that could have happened and that you're smarter than that. And I should have forced the point of our conversation, and maybe we wouldn't be making these apologies right now. I'm just glad we resolved everything and that I can just go back to loving you like I always have," Kendall said, wrapping his arms around Carlos's waist.

Carlos smiled at him as he linked his arms around Kendall's neck before they brought their lips together in a tender kiss. It was scary for both of them how close they had come to actually breaking up, so they let every ounce of emotion within them pour into that kiss. They had made it back to the couch, lips never breaking away from each other, and the kiss was really starting to heat up when the front door opened.

"Well, it's about time you guys made up! I was afraid you were going to break up and I'd have to pick sides or something," James said, grinning widely at the two bodies sprawled across the couch as he dropped his gym bag next to the door.

Kendall very slowly brought himself out of his position halfway on top of Carlos to sit beside him. The speed in which he did it was mainly influenced by Carlos's insistent nudging at his shoulders, and he always did like messing with the boy. It felt good to be able to do so once again.

"So what's this I hear about you going out with Cameron again, Carlos? I figured it wasn't true, but I just wanted to see if you knew anything about it," James said, unconcerned.

Carlos and Kendall looked at each other warily. People were already talking about it? But then again, word travels fast in Hollywood.

"No, I'm still with Kendall. Cameron did an interview and he said a bunch of crap about me and him that isn't true," Carlos explained.

James entered the kitchen where he promptly opened the fridge to grab a bottle of water. He took a sip before humming thoughtfully.

"Well, just say the word and I'll be there to help you beat him up," he offered.

"Thanks, because I'm seriously thinking about doing just that," Carlos said, snatching his helmet up from the table and jamming it on his head. "He may _think_ that I'm weak, but everyone knows I'm the muscle of this group, right?" he said looking back and forth between Kendall and James for support.

"Oh, yeah, totally, of course. No, not really," they chorused.

Carlos's expression could only be compared to that of a let-down puppy. "But, Kendall, you even said so when we went on strike that one time!" he reminded him with a sharp finger poking inches from his nose.

"Well, yeah, but do you remember that you didn't exactly live up to the job title? Even if you did break that table, you're not the most aggressive guy, Carlos," Kendall said, shrugging helplessly.

Carlos turned away, crossing his arms smartly across his chest. "Well, anyway. I can still beat him up," he pouted.

"We're not denying that you can, babe. But I think I should handle this," Kendall said, placing a soothing hand on Carlos's shoulder.

"No, you did it last time. You can't always fight my battles for me, Kendall," Carlos reasoned.

"This is just as much my battle as it is yours. You know he wasn't just getting you back. He was aiming at me as well," Kendall reminded him.

"Well _I_ say that the battle belongs to all of us. You mess with one member of Big Time Rush, you mess with them all," James spoke up, straightening up from his slouched position against the counter.

"You know what, James? You're right," Kendall said, affecting his 'speech' voice. "Cameron actually brought you and Logan into this as well when he made up the story about Carlos leaving the band, which was basically a slight against our friendship, in my opinion. We're a team, and no dumb ex-boyfriend who can't get a life could ever change that. We'll always stick together no matter what. And Carlos, even if we did ever break up – which I'm 99.9% sure could not happen at this point – I'd always have your back because we were friends first, and that's what matters." He paused, smiling at his boyfriend. "Now when it comes to getting back at Cameron, simply beating him up isn't going to work. So, we need to find Logan. We need his brains to come up with a plan that will absolutely _murder_ this guy. Figuratively speaking, of course."

**So it seems that Cameron isn't completely out of the picture just yet. But he will be soon! Please review! (:**


	8. Chapter 8

**This is the last chapter, folks! Thank you for all the reviews and for simply reading this story. It means a lot. (:**

**Chapter 8 – The End**

Twenty minutes later, they had located Logan reading by the pool and had all gathered in the living room to begin concocting their plan. They had only been at it for no more five minutes when the first argument arose.

"Can't we just beat him up and be done with it? An evil plot could cause stress, and stress could cause bad hair days and zits. And James Diamond does _not_ have bad hair days or zits," James said while whipping out his lucky comb and a hand mirror before running the comb through his already perfect hair and smiling at his reflection reassuringly.

"Because James. We have to teach him a lesson. And since he obviously doesn't learn from having his face smashed in, we must take more drastic measures," Kendall reasoned.

"How drastic are we talking? Because I don't know about you, but I'd rather stay out of jail if you don't mind," Logan laughed nervously.

"Relax. I don't plan on killing him or anything. Just ruin his life so completely that he will wish I had," Kendall said brightly.

The other three exchanged looks and looked at him uneasily.

"Look, Kendall. I know you're mad and everything, but that sounds a bit crazy. Why don't we just find a way to get him fired from Rocque Records and kicked out of the Palmwoods? I think that's all we really can do without getting thrown in jail or acquiring a lawsuit," Logan suggested with a shrug.

"Yeah, Kendall. I mean, I've kinda calmed down a little, and I think that we really shouldn't waste a lot of time or effort on this. Cameron just isn't worth it. We need to simply erase him from our lives and move on," Carlos said with a levelheadedness that was rare for the helmet-wearing boy.

"Maybe look into a restraining order or…" Logan began to suggest, but trailed off as he watched Kendall shake his head in frustration.

"Why are you guys willing to let him get off so easily? Just getting him fired from Rocque Records isn't going to stop him from signing a record deal with another label or prevent him from spreading more lies about Carlos and I! We have to do something more. I don't know what, but we have to make certain that there's no way he can try to hurt Carlos again," Kendall said stubbornly.

Logan again tried to reason with the hot-headed boy. "But Kendall, we can still do that. After he get's fired, Carlos can get a restraining order so he can't contact him, and as for the rumors, Gustavo can hire an awesome lawyer and we can sue him for pain and suffering or whatever."

After a few moments of consideration, Kendall reluctantly agreed to Logan's plan. Their discussion continued on until Mrs. Knight and Katie arrived back from an audition, arms laden with groceries from their stop at the store afterwards.

"Hey boys. What are you doing in the house on a nice day? I thought you'd all be out by the pool or at the park," Mrs. Knight said, setting her load down on the counter.

"Nothing," the guys chorused.

She looked at them suspiciously and Katie spoke up. "They're up to something," the girl accused.

"What?" Kendall let out with an expression that said 'How could you even think that?'

"Boys," Mrs. Knight began warningly. "What are you plotting this time?"

They all avoided her eyes, silence their only answer. Carlos was the first to crack.

"Okay, we were planning revenge against my ex-boyfriend, Cameron," he said guiltily, eyes pleading for mercy.

"Carlos!" the other three yelled, Logan slapping the boy in the back of the head, which began a slapping match between the two.

"Enough!" Mama Knight shouted. The slapping match ended. "Now, back up. What are you trying to get revenge on Cameron for?"

"He basically tried to ruin Carlos's life by doing an interview on national television and he told all these lies and stuff about Carlos and him," Kendall told her, still obviously very upset about it.

His mother stood speechless for a few moments before speaking. "Well I know that as a parent, I'm supposed to preach forgive and forget, but I say go for it. Just as long as it's not anything illegal. And if anyone asks, I know nothing," she said, turning to put the groceries away.

Carlos and Kendall smiled at each other. Operation Get-Cameron-Fired-And-Then-Kicked-Out-Of-The-Palmwoods was about to commence.

**~*B.T.R.*~**

As it turned out, it wasn't all that hard to get Cameron fired.

By the end of the day, everyone had either saw the interview or had heard about it, including Griffin. That was why Carlos, James, Kendall and Logan all found themselves in an emergency meeting at Rocque Records with Cameron, Gustavo and Kelly, and Griffin and his entourage at 8:30 that night.

"So, if you hadn't already guessed when I called this meeting, I'm upset," Griffin stated from behind his feet which were perched atop Gustavo's desk. A few beats of silence passed and he continued. "Whose idea was it to drag my artists's, Rocque Record's, and RCM-CBT Global-Net Sanyoid's names through the gutter in some lame attempt at a publicity stunt without consulting with me about it first?"

Nervous glances all around before Gustavo spoke up tentatively. "For the record, Griffin, I knew nothing about this," he said innocently.

"Hmm. Someone get me some warm pants. I can tell this conversation is going to be uncomfortable," Griffin ordered. The warm pants were delivered promptly and Griffin talked as he changed into them. "Now, you boys will have to do some explaining. I'm afraid I don't quite grasp the situation. Ahh, nothing like warm pants to take the edge off."

Carlos glared at Cameron from his position on the other side of the room from the boy. "Cameron here was just spreading a few nasty rumors about me because he's a heartless, conniving dog who can't accept when someone else is happy and he isn't," he sneered.

Cameron took on a hurt look. "Losie, I was doing it for us. And here I thought you actually cared about me."

"Oh, cut the crap Cameron. We all know that you're lying. Carlos would never stoop so low as to take you back," Kendall snapped.

Cameron glared, eyes blazing. "I'd think twice before insulting me again, Knight, or I just might have to acquaint my fist with your face as you're so fond of doing yourself," he threatened.

"Bring it," Kendall said, stepping forward.

"Hey, guys, enough! Stop it right there!" Kelly yelled, wedging herself between them. "This is serious business guys." She gave Cameron a pointed look. "If what they're saying is true, there could be some real consequences, Cam."

"Consequences as in – you're fired," Griffin said matter-of-factly.

For the first time, Cameron started to appear nervous. He looked around at the accusing faces of Carlos and Kendall, the reprimanding faces of Kelly and Gustavo, the imposing face of Griffin. There was no way out of this hole he had dug himself into.

Cameron clenched his jaw angrily. "Whatever," he said, and that was all Griffin needed.

"Well, it appears that you've made a very bad choice, young man. I have to say that I always thought you had the potential to be greater than Big Time Rush, but maybe I was wrong. You don't have half the integrity of these fine boys."

Griffin gestured toward them with a slight smile before it slipped from his face again. Without any indication as to what he wanted, Griffin found Cameron's contract in front of him along with a large stamp and inkpad. In the next moment, he was standing, the contract – that now had 'VOID' printed across it in bright red – extended out towards Cameron.

"You're fired."

Then he was gone along with his horde of assistants. The others stood in silence for a few beats before Gustavo turned to the seething Cameron.

"Well, this means that I'm not gonna pay for you're apartment anymore, so unless you have a way to pay for it yourself, you might have to leave," Gustavo told him in his slightly booming voice.

With one last glare at them all, Cameron stalked out of the room. Before long, Logan, Kendall, Carlos and James were taking his lead out the door to head back to the Palmwoods. In the limo, Logan smiled happily.

"That was easy."

Carlos and Kendall grinned right along with him.

**~*B.T.R.*~**

The next morning, Kendall and Carlos had their faces plastered against the windows in the living room, watching with child-like glee as Cameron loaded his car with suitcases below.

"This has to be one of the greatest moments in my entire life," Kendall said, chuckling softly.

Carlos responded with his own laugh, leaving the window to return to the breakfast table where his cereal lay growing soggy. Kendall soon followed, falling into his chair beside his boyfriend and kissing him on the cheek before turning to his own forgotten mush.

"Should we even eat this?" he began to ask, but a glance at Carlos's upturned bowl and the milk streams at the corners of the boy's mouth gave Carlos's view on if one should eat soggy cereal or not.

Kendall smiled good-naturedly before he grabbed his bowl and the now empty one in front of Carlos and took them to the sink. At that moment, Logan walked in, fully dressed and ready to go.

"Guys, come on. Kelly will be here in fifteen minutes. Go get dressed," Logan commanded them.

"Yes, mother," Kendall teased.

They got dressed, and for the next three hours, the mood was light, even when Gustavo was yelling at them. Carlos and Kendall were making more goo-goo eyes at each other than when they had first started dating, and Gustavo was ready to strangle them. But, of course, they ignored him.

When Gustavo yelled at them to go home, Logan, Carlos and Kendall approached him about the lawyer/restraining order issue with Cameron. The perpetually irate man very seriously and very calmly told them that he would take it into consideration and that if there was ever cause for it in the future, they didn't have to worry.

Carlos felt like he was walking on air. Things with Kendall had been smoothed over, and he would never have to worry about or even see Cameron again. As the limo carried them home, he leaned his head against Kendall's shoulder and felt the blonde's warm arm wrapped around his waist. And for the first time in what felt like forever, everything was perfect.

**A/N: So this is where the story ends. ): Thank you for reading, lovelies! **


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